By John Maher | Friday, February 3, 2012, 05:25 PM
The Circuit of the Americas has filed a lawsuit to move a neighbors water line that cuts across the circuits property.
The two-inch line belongs to Donald Haywood, a retired Austin police officer who owns 15 acres in Elroy. Haywood bought his land in 1996 but it is now surrounded by the motorsports complex, which has grown to almost 1,100 acres.
The pipe runs under land the circuit wants to use for a parking lot. In the suit, filed Friday in state District Court in Travis County, the circuit seeks to either remove or move the line.
Circuit officials have previously talked with Haywood about buying his property but the parties could not agree on a price.
Haywood could not be reached for comment Friday.
Jeff Hahn, a spokesman for the circuit, said, The circuit wants to be, and has tried to be, a good neighbor. We hope to resolve this issue quickly and move forward.

By John Maher | Friday, February 3, 2012, 05:25 PM
The Circuit of the Americas has filed a lawsuit to move a neighbors water line that cuts across the circuits property.
The two-inch line belongs to Donald Haywood, a retired Austin police officer who owns 15 acres in Elroy. Haywood bought his land in 1996 but it is now surrounded by the motorsports complex, which has grown to almost 1,100 acres.
The pipe runs under land the circuit wants to use for a parking lot. In the suit, filed Friday in state District Court in Travis County, the circuit seeks to either remove or move the line.
Circuit officials have previously talked with Haywood about buying his property but the parties could not agree on a price.
Haywood could not be reached for comment Friday.
Jeff Hahn, a spokesman for the circuit, said, The circuit wants to be, and has tried to be, a good neighbor. We hope to resolve this issue quickly and move forward.

Recent rains have pushed back the construction schedule at the Circuit of the Americas, which is scheduled to host its inaugural U.S. Grand Prix on Nov. 18.
"We're probably looking at a week, week-and-a-half (delay)," said Scott Kahler, senior superintendent for general contractor Austin Commercial. Two weeks ago, nearby Austin-Bergstrom International Airport received more than five inches of rain in one day, and in February the circuit has recorded 1 3/4 inches.
Kahler, anticipating drier weather, expects lost time on the $300 million project to be made up in the coming months.
"Good things are happening out here," Kahler said.
Between 350 and 450 workers are on-site six days a week, said Jeff Hahn, a spokesman for the circuit.
Hahn said 40,000 yards of concrete have been poured so far during construction. The slab for the 5,500-square-foot medical building was poured at 3 a.m. Thursday morning.
On Monday, the walls for the 40,000-square-foot media/convention center began to go up, swung into place by a 360-ton mobile crane, Hahn said.
The first of six zones in the pit and paddock area now has a roof. Two more zones will soon be topped out, which will allow interior construction to begin on that section.
As for the track itself, Kahler estimated that 85 percent of the excavation has been completed.
"The last 15 percent is deep excavation," he said.
That part of the track &#8212; turns 14 through 17, near the planned amphitheater &#8212; will be carved out of the same unstable black clay that is being removed to a depth of nine feet and stabilized throughout the 3.4-mile circuit.
"We haven't seen a rock since we got here," Kahler said of the site.
The track will be poured in three layers, beginning in April, and circuit officials anticipate the final layer will be finished in August. Construction has started, stopped and restarted on the circuit in recent months, and Kahler said construction schedules are revised monthly.
Circuit officials have previously mentioned 60 days as a target date for an inspection from FIA, the world governing body of motorsports.
There doesn't, however, appear to be one cutoff date or one make-or-break inspection from FIA.
Nick Craw, the president and CEO of ACCUS &#8212; FIA's arm in the United States &#8212; recently said via email, in response to an American-Statesman query, "There will be multiple inspections and the process is pretty flexible."
As for right now, Kahler said, "We're all good. ... We're ready to bring the world to Austin, Texas

By Dave Doolittle | Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 10:50 AM
The FIA, the world governing body of motorsports, this morning set official race times and distances for all 2012 Formula One races, including the U.S. Grand Prix near Austin.
The U.S. race, scheduled for a circuit under construction in southeastern Travis County, will be 56 laps for a distance of 191.9 miles (308.9 kilometers), the FIA said.
The length of a Formula One race is the number of completed laps that equal 305 kilometers (189.5 miles) or two hours. The Circuit of the Americas is 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) long.
Race times are the same that were reported in January: The race Sunday, Nov. 18, will start at 1 p.m. Central.
Practices on Friday, Nov. 16, will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday&#8217;s practice will be from 10 to 11 a.m., and qualifying will be at 1 p.m.
Tickets for the inaugural race will go on sale later this year. The waiting list to reserve personal seat licenses closed Monday.
Work on the circuit has been hampered by rains this year, but officials expect to have the facility ready in time for the first race.